


Two Beady Eyes, Two Floppy Ears and One Fluffy Tail

by Mary_Jane221B



Series: Behind the Camera: NBT [4]
Category: Inception (2010), Next Big Thing AU
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-27
Updated: 2015-10-27
Packaged: 2018-04-28 12:45:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5091257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mary_Jane221B/pseuds/Mary_Jane221B
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's Eames, there's Arthur and there's an unanticipated birthday present.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Two Beady Eyes, Two Floppy Ears and One Fluffy Tail

**Author's Note:**

  * For [earlgreytea68](https://archiveofourown.org/users/earlgreytea68/gifts), [pureimaginatrix](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pureimaginatrix/gifts), [epsentinel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/epsentinel/gifts), [beginningwithA](https://archiveofourown.org/users/beginningwithA/gifts).



> I don't know what to tell you guys. Sometimes you need tooth rotting fluff and sometimes said fluff is inspired by friends. 
> 
> For beginningwithA because you're always lovely. 
> 
> For epsentinel because your comments keep me writing. 
> 
> Especially for Pureimaginatrix because you brought me the bunnies.
> 
> And as ever for EGT without whom there would be no NBT Universe to play with. 
> 
> Smooches to all NBT Darlings, I miss you all terribly and our wonderful Comment Parties, I've just started packing for my trip but I couldn't resist writing this little fic.
> 
> RMJ X

One thing Arthur would always credit Eames with, no matter how old they got, was making him more flexible. After all when living with a wonderfully inventive designer you had to learn to embrace eccentricity.  It was because of this that when Arthur came home one Friday and found their entry hall in a state of disarray that he didn’t immediately worry they had been robbed.

Instead of panicking he removed his jacket, undid his cuff links and rolled up his sleeves in a way he knew Eames would instantly find distracting.

“Eames where are you?” Arthur turns to follow the trail of misplaced furniture and knocked over vases into the front room.

Then he stops. He blinks approximately ten times in rapid succession and feels the earlier repressed panic start to rise in his chest.

“EAMES!” Arthur bellows refusing to move his eyes from his living room coffee table; he especially refused to do so while those two beady eyes maintained their withering gaze, “Eames get your ass in here or I swear to God.”

“Arthur? Arthur where are you?”  Arthur could hear his husband but was no closer to seeing him. The only thing he could see was the tiny ball of fur resting on its haunches in the middle of their coffee table eyeing him in a truly menacing way.

“I’m in the living room, which is precisely where you should be! Get in here. The bloody thing won’t stop looking at me.”

“What won’t stop looking at you?”

“The fucking bunny Eames” Arthur proceeds to swear ferociously when said Bunny hops off the table and makes a run for the entertainment system. “Oh no you don’t you little fucker.” Arthur pounces sliding across the floor slightly but managing the get a tight hold on the squirming animal. “Oh bloody hell.” The animal’s sharp claws caught his wrist leaving behind a vivid red mark.

“Darling,” Eames exclaims when he bounds into the room seconds later like the over grown puppy that he is. “You found Pepe. Aren’t you clever.”

“Pepe, who the fuck is Pepe?”

“I would think the answer to that would be obvious Darling.”

Arthur treats him his best withering stare.

“Get this bloody rat off me Eames.” Eames scoops the still ferociously wriggling animal out of Arthur’s hands and fusses for a moment over his wrist while cradling the slightly trembling animal to his chest.

“Naughty Pepe scratching Arthur.” If Arthur wasn’t a completely rational human being he might have thought the look Pepe the bunny treated him to was scathing. But Arthur was rational and so definitely did not take a cautionary step back away from said animal. “Darling isn’t he precious.”

 No Arthur thought he definitely was not precious. So far he was proving himself to be fucking demon spawn. Arthur pinches his nose and tries to remember what his ninth grade school councillor had taught him about the importance of proper breathing and counting to ten before you react to something unexpected.

“Why is there a bunny in our living room Eames?”

“Ah well…” Eames looks at him in that way which was supposed to make everything completely clear and never did. “Can’t you think of any possible uses for this bunny?” Eames raises said bunny’s evilly sharp claws and proceeds to make it wave at Arthur.

“Eames did you, did you buy me a bunny. Seriously Eames I don’t need a bunny.”

“Wait Darling…”

“No really Eames it’s very sweet and I know I’ve been in a rotten mood all week but it’s only because of Cobb Eames. You don’t need to buy me a bunny every time Dom upsets me.”

“Ah yes you see…”

“Eames you’re wonderful and I know you mean well but I don’t think us having a bunny is a good idea right now. If you really want to keep him then that’s okay and we’ll figure it out but if it’s just for me then”

“Wait Darling listen. Pepe is not for you.”

“It’s not?”

“It’s a he Darling.”

“Oh whatever Eames. If he’s not for me then who is he for?”

“Can you not think of anyone whose birthday is coming up?”

“Oh god seriously?”

“Oh yes.”

“Christ Joe’s going to kill you.”

“What why?”

“Because it’s a bunny Eames, you can’t just buy her a bunny.”

“Why not, Pepe is a great present and Daisy can look after him.”

“Daisy is three Eames.”

“She will be four next week. That’s plenty old enough for a bunny. Isn’t it Pepe?” Eames starts making kissy noises at the bunny and Arthur swears he’s going to make him scrub his whole face before coming anywhere near him.

“Do you really think she won’t like it Darling? I thought she would love to have a bunny.”

“Oh no Daisy will love it; she’ll adore him and dress him up every day. I can’t believe Harriet agreed to this.”

“Ah, well it’s funny you should mention that.”

“What why?”

“Well” Eames flourished his free hand in a forward motion.

“Please tell me you at least asked Harry?”

“She’s been all crazy since they opened the new store and I didn’t want to bother her.” Eames was starting to get defensive and when he got defensive he got huffy. A huffy Eames was never fun to reason with.

“Eames I think bothering her about the bunny would have been alright.” Arthur sighs because he knows that he is never going to win this battle and all he’s going to do in the process of fighting Eames about is upset his husband. “But it’s not like they’re going to turn him away. He is pretty adorable.” Eames brightens at Arthur’s praise of the bunny and all Arthur can do is hope that Joe and Harry will forgive him for not intervening in the purchase of the animal. He was here now though and if they’re going to do this they’re going to do it properly.

“What about everything else? The run, the food, the bedding. What did you get?”

“The what? Oh I bought carrots.”

“You bought carrots?”

“Well that’s why bunnies eat right?”

“Eames did you do any research?”

“Well not exactly. I was walking past that sweet pet store in the high street and they had a big sign which said ‘baby bunnies for sale’ in the window and that got me thinking about how you always read Daisy the Peter Rabbit stories. See Darling Pepe really is the perfect gift! I even called Giacomo and asked if he could make a tiny blue jacket so he’ll look the part.”  

Arthur was actually touched. Even if Eames was horrible at planning he always picked wonderfully personal gifts.

“That’s, well, actually that’s ridiculously sweet Eames.” Eames beamed again and led Arthur out of the living room and through their hall to the kitchen.

“Giacomo said he normally wouldn’t make clothes for animals but as it was for Little Lady Daisy how could he refuse.” Eames says the last word in the same voice he used to use when communicating with Daisy when she could still be considered a baby. Arthur watches with a look of horror as he rubs his nose against the animals.

“They’re going to need all the things though more than just a jacket.”

“And you think we should buy it?”

“If we’re going to bring a bunny into their family than we can at least ensure they’re prepared, deal?”

Arthur holds his hand out to shake Eames’ in a very professional manner but he doesn’t resit when Eames draws him in for a kiss. That is he doesn’t resist until he remembers where else his husband’s face and lips have been and then Arthur pulls away rapidly.

***

Just under a week later Arthur wanders through Joe and Harry’s house to the party in the Garden.  Bunting sways in the light breeze and Arthur marvels for a moment at how much their Goddaughter has grown. She’s a small girl now, no longer a baby and it makes him miss the tiny thing that he used to be able to hold in the crook of his arm so easily.

“Uncle Arthur!” Daisy screams through a mouth full of cake. She runs at him her fairy wings battering one of her guest in the face on route and Arthur kneels in the grass the catch her.

“Hello Birthday Girl!”

“Arthur” Joe calls the barbeque “Is Eames behind you? He promised to bring more coal.”

“Yeah he’s coming.” Arthur calls back, he grabs Paul’s arm in passing and hisses “Go and help Eames.”

“What?” Pauls asks clearly confused, he hands his beer over the Matt when Arthur pulls him away back toward the house.

“Go and help him. Take Tom and Matt too.”

“Alright…” Paul says stepping away from Arthur slowly before gesturing to the boys and jogging back through the house.

“Uncle Arthur, Uncle Arthur.” Daisy pulls on the neck of his sweater in a way only she can get away with. “See what I’m dressed as?”

“I do! You’re a fairy and a very nice one I have to say.”

“Not just a fairy silly!”

“No? Are you a special fairy?” Arthur asks before swinging her around in a circle like she’s flying through the air.

“Yes!” Daisy says still gleeful from her impromptu flight. “I’m the fairy from the book.”

“From the book?”

“The one Aunty Laura sent me for Christmas.” His mother always did like vaguely educational gifts for children.

“Oh! You’re Tinkerbell? Well I love your costume and your wings. They’re so pretty.” Daisy preens under his admiration before pointing out where all her toys have been spread out across the garden and the tables that have been set up. Arthur makes appropriately impressed noises when she points to any object and calls it her ‘very very most favourite gift ever’.

Arthur hears a stool fall over inside and the muffled sound of an adult cursing. He quickly makes his way over to Harry and leans to mutter in her ear while Daisy is distracted by one of Harry’s parents.

“I’m sorry, don’t blame me.” Harry looks mildly alarmed when Arthur pulls away.

“What are you” She cuts off midsentence when she catches sight of Eames and Paul carrying a large brightly wrapped present “Oh god Arthur.”

Daisy is wide eyed when Eames makes his way over. She draws in a deep breath when he and Paul lower the package to the ground Eames winks at her and then she’s pushing out of Arthur’s arms so quickly it’s all he can do not to drop her.

She runs at the package, stops just before it, and instead of unwrapping it chooses to run at Eames and sit in his lap simply staring at the sheer amount of wrapping paper their gift is covered in. She points at the bow with a slightly dazed look on her face and giggles.

“Arthur…” Harry starts wearily.

“I know.”

“What is that?” Joe asks seemingly genuinely puzzled. Harry is close to hyper ventilating because in truth if the size and shape of the object didn’t give away its contents the wrapping paper being covered in tiny orange carrots should have been a clue.

“That would be your best friend’s idea of a good birthday present for your daughter.”

“Just him?” Joe asks calmly taking a sip of his beer.

“The idea was all him. The practical items included, those are on me.”

More children have started to gather around Eames now and Daisy is shining under the envious stares her present is receiving.  

“Mummy can I open it?” She shouts over when one of her guests dares to poke the wrapping paper before she does. Harry looks panicked but Joe calls that she can. Eames whispers in her ear and suddenly Arthur finds himself being led by the hand to stand in front of the present and help remove the wrapping paper.

Then there are screams. Screams of glee luckily and even Harry cracks a smile when Daisy bursts into tears while holding her bunny proclaiming it to be ‘the very best of all of the best presents ever.’

“Wait, wait it gets better” Eames shouts over the din all the children are making as they circle Daisy and her bunny both of whom are sat in Arthur’s lap.  Eames pulls one of their final presents out of his jacket pocket and hands it across to Arthur who grins as he opens the carrot wrapping paper to reveal the blue jacket held within.

“Just like in my book!”

“That’s right.” Eames says. “Uncle Arthur’s friend Giacomo thought your lovely bunny could use a nice jacket to keep him warm. Just like Peter.”

Eames helps her struggle to put the roomy jacket on the bunny and Arthur takes another scratch to the arm while protecting Daisy from the overexcited animal’s claws.

“What do you say?”  Harry asks Daisy pointedly and Daisy turns to plant a kiss on Arthur’s cheek.

“Thank you Uncle Arthur.”  She waves her hand for Eames to move closer which he does and she treats him to two kisses, one on each cheek. “Thank you Uncle Eames.”

“You’re welcome Baby Girl.” Eames says clearly delighted by her happiness. “Happy Birthday.”

**Author's Note:**

> Working title was Arthur and the devil Bunny just fyi.


End file.
